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The roller coaster ride that quarterback Brandon Weeden has endured in Cleveland is finally over. Per multiple sources, including the team's official Twitter account, the Browns have released the third-year quarterback.
The #Browns have released QB Brandon Weeden, the team announced Wednesday.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 12, 2014
Weeden was a bit of a desperation pick by the Browns back in 2012 when he was taken No.22 overall. The previous regime, headed by then-General Manager Mike Holmgren, knew that their jobs were on the line if they couldn't secure a viable quarterback. Unfortunately, Weeden never materialized into what Cleveland's view as a credible starter and Weeden is on the streets looking for another gig. New G.M. Ray Farmer released this statement about the move:
"First and foremost, the Browns would like to thank Brandon and his agent for being true professionals. The circumstances in which he found himself were not easy for him or the team. After discussions with Brandon and his agent, we’d like to give him the ability to pursue other opportunities."
Some could argue that he never really had a fair shake at things with the Browns. Be it a lack of certain surrounding offensive talent, a very short leash and/or constant turnover in the front office and with the coaching staff, Weeden wasn't really set up for success. Ironically, two of Weeden's best games as a pro quarterback came against the Bengals in 2012 where he combined to throw for 553 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception.
He will likely get a shot somewhere else, be it as a competing backup or as a possible stopgap solution for a struggling team that might be looking for a quarterback in this year's draft for development. Some believe that the Weeden release could be a move in an effort to create as much room as possible for the Browns to make a push for the recently-released Darrelle Revis.